Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 203
those who came in the spring of that year had good substantial
frame-houses. A saw mill had then been erected in Scituate and
lumber, for covering and finishing buildings, could be cheaply
procured. Mr. Hull, Mr. Mayo, Thos. Lumbert, Mr. Dimmock,
and others had frame-houses. According to tradition preserved
in the family, the first house built by Gov. Hinckley, and that by
his father Samuel, were on the east side of Goggins' pond, had
thatched roofs, and were not much better than the booths above
described, yet they were the only houses they had for several
years.
It is doubtful whether the first comers ever built any houses
of the description now known as log-houses. Block houses of a
similar construction to a log-house, were built early. They were
constructed of hewn timbers, two stories high, and adapted for
defence against Indian hostilities as well as for a residence. A
block house was built in Yarmouth ;
but in- Barnstable, the lower
stories of all the fortification houses were of stone, and have
already been described.
Some of the pallisade houses built by the first settlers, were
the most comfortable and durable houses built. Elder John
Chipman's, I believe, was so constructed, Mr. John Crow's, of
Yarmouth, certainly was, and stood nearly two centuries, required
but little repair, and, in fact, the recent owners did not know that
it was so constructed till it was taken down. This house was
built by taking large sticks of timber for sills and plates, boring
two paralled rows of holes in each, about six inches apart, excepting
where doors or windows were to be placed, and filling between
with stones and clay. This formed the walls of the house, which
were plastered with shell mortar inside and out. The Crowell
house was afterwards clap boarded, which concealed the original
construction from sight.
Jolin Crocker's house probably was not so constructed,
because it would be difficult for any one to have removed the
pallisadoes and entered the house in the manner described.
Many of the early settlers built a pallisade around their houses,
and John Crocker probably did, as a defence against the Indians,
and to keep out intruders and wild beasts. Such pallisades were
built of small logs 12 or 15 feet long, sharpened at each end and
set or driven into the ground side by side, so as to form a fence
ten feet high, which it would be difficult for man or beast to
scale.
He died in 1669 leaving a wife Jane, but no children. After
providing for his widow he gave his estate to the sons of his
brother William, and appointed his nephew Job, his executor.
The latter came into possession of the old homestead, and it is
now owned by his descendants.
He was a very different man from his brother Dea. William.